Last night, on my way home I stopped because of being attracted by some hamburgers at a fast food restaurant. On my way in, a homeless man approached me and asked, “Do you have any bottles lying around?” I knew he would recycle them for a few cents, but I didn't have any, so I said no. And again he asked, “Can you spare some change ?” I smiled, and said no again. He was very respectful; he smiled back and said, “OK, thank you.” Even though he didn't have anything, he was still in good spirits. From the way he spoke I could tell he was smart.

    Then I bought one hamburger and enjoyed my meal, but in the back of my mind I wondered whether the homeless man was hungry. After I finished my meal I decided to order another one for him. At this point I didn't know if he was still around, but I tried anyway.

    At the counter I ordered a hamburger and also a hot chocolate, because it was cold outside, and I thought it would help warm him up. They delivered me the hot chocolate first and as I waited for my hamburger, I noticed the homeless man was standing right beside me. I looked at him and smiled, “This hot chocolate is for you.” He replied like a gentleman, “Thank you so much. That's very kind of you.”

    I always believe no matter how hard up I am, there are always those who are worse off than I. When you help someone, it's not always about money, it's about love. The love you give today, someone might forget tomorrow. It doesn't matter. Love anyway, because the greatest thing you can give is love.

    We all know that listening to music can soothe emotional pain, but Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys can also ease physical pain, according to a study of children and teenagers who had major surgery.

    The research was carried out because of a very personal experience. Sunitha Suresh was a college student when her grandmother had major surgery and was put in intensive care (重症监护). This meant her family couldn't always be with her. They decided to put her favorite music on an iPod so she could listen around the clock.

    It was very calming, Suresh says. “She knew that someone who loved her had left that music for her and she was in a familiar place.”

    Suresh could see that the music relaxed her grandmother and made her feel less anxious, but she wondered if she also felt less pain. That would make sense, because anxiety can make people more sensitive to pain. At the time Suresh was majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor (兼修) in music cognition (认知) at Northwestern University where her father, Santhanam Suresh, is a professor of pediatrics (儿科).

    So the father and daughter decided to do a study. And since Dr Suresh works with children, they decided to look at how music chosen by the children themselves might affect their tolerance for pain.

    It was a small study, involving 60 patients between 9 and 14 years old. All the patients were undergoing big operations that required them to stay in the hospital for at least a couple of days. Right after surgery, patients received narcotics (麻醉药) to control pain. The next day they were divided into three groups. One group heard 30 minutes of music of their choice, one heard 30 minutes of stories of their choice and one listened to 30 minutes of silence via noise canceling headphones.

    After a 30-minute session, the children who listened to music or books reduced their pain burden by 1 point on a 10-point scale. Sunitha Suresh says it's equal to taking an over-the-counter pain medication like Advil or Tylenol.

    The findings suggest that doctors may be able to use less pain medication for their pediatric patients. And that's a good thing, says Santhanam Suresh, as children are smaller and are more likely to suffer side effects. So the less pain medication, he says, the better.

    Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship

    $2,500 awards available:1

    The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $2,500 one-time scholarship. Applicants must:

    Be a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability who will be enrolled (招收) in a two-year community college, a training program, or a specialized program for students with learning disability in the fall；

    Demonstrate (证明) financial need;

    Provide most current documentation of an identified learning disability (Please note: attention-deficit (注意力缺乏症)/ hyperactivity disorder (多动症) alone is not considered to be a learning disability; candidates with AD/ HD must also provide documentation of a specific learning disability);

    Be a United States citizen.

    Contact: afscholarship@ncld.org            Tel:646-616-1211

    Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® (LTL) Scholarship

    $6,000 or $2,000 awards available: 6

    The awards are presented to those who are high school seniors with learning disabilities, in recognition of academic achievement, outstanding leadership, and service to others. The awards are given to six students who are chosen by a selection committee every year. The three top winners will get $6,000 each and the other three winners $2,000 each.

    Contact: naa@learningally.org         Tel: 800-241-4792

    Joe Hornsby Ⅲ Scholarship

    $2,000  awards available: 4

    The scholarship will focus specifically on students who have special needs because of physical disabilities and want to further their education at a college/ university or trade school. Applicants must:

    Be a graduating senior of a high school in Mesquite Independent School District;

    Be planning to attend or be enrolled in an undergraduate program at a college, university or technical training program;

    Have had at least a "C" average during high school (2.0 GPA)

    Contact: scholarship@dallasfoundation.org     Tel: 214-741-9683

    WSAJ Past Presidents. Scholarship

    7,500 awards available: 2

    Applicants must be high school seniors who have a history of achievement despite having been a victim of injury or overcoming a disability or similar challenge, and a documented need for financial assistance. They must also have a record of commitment to helping people in need or protecting the rights of injured persons and a plan to apply their education toward helping people. The scholarship is only open to students of Washington.

    Contact: anta@washingtonjustice.org          Tel: 214-741-9863

    Artie Shaw was born in New York City in 1910. His parents were poor persons who had come to the United States from Eastern Europe. At the age of fourteen, he began to play the saxophone(萨克斯管) and then the clarinet(竖笛). From very young age, Artie Shaw wanted to play his clarinet better than anyone. He wanted his sound and music to be perfect, so he began working as a professional musician when he was fifteen, and he left home and began playing in bands across the United States.

    In 1927, young Artie Shaw traveled to Chicago, Illinois to hear the great trumpet (小号) player, Louis Armstrong. He immediately understood that Armstrong's great jazz sound was the beginning of something new and exciting. Artie left Chicago with a growing interest in jazz music. Soon after, he moved to New York City. He got work playing the clarinet for the Columbia Broadcast System radio network in1936. He was given chance to found his band and play at New York's famous Imperial Theater on Broadway. His group was not the top band in the show. But the crowd loved his music. This proved to be a major step in his career.

    In 1938, Artie Shaw and his band recorded what would be one of their most popular songs. It sold millions of records. It still sells several thousand each year. Shaw was surprised that it became so popular. The song is "Begin the Beguine" written by Cole Porter. However, the fame caused problems for Shaw. He could not go anywhere without being recognized. He no longer had a private life.

    On Dec. 13th, 2004, Artie Shaw died after a long sickness. He was ninety-four years old. He was the last great musician and bandleader of what has been called the "Big Band Era".

    Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous scientists in this century. He was born in 1942. He's world well-known on space and time. Stephen was searching some very big questions, such as "How did the universe begin? How will it end?"

    Stephen was a student at Oxford University. He studied math and science. Then, at the age of twenty, he became sick. He was so young, but the doctors said to his family, "He has only two more years to live." As a matter of fact, the doctors were wrong – he didn't die. He can't walk but he uses a wheelchair. He can't feed himself and get in or out of bed himself. But he refused to give in to the condition. He talks with the help of a computer. After Oxford, Stephen went to Cambridge University. Three years later, in 1965, he became a doctor of philosophy(哲学).

    Because of his serious health problems, it was difficult for him to draw or to write. So he started to think in pictures. With this new way of thinking, he became one of the most famous scientists in the world. In 1981, he met the Pope(教皇) in Rome. They talked about his ideas. Then in 1988, he wrote his first important book, A Brief History of Time. It sold more than 5.5 million copies in 33 different languages. He was once invited to China, he impressed us with his self-confidence, humorous and witty(风趣的) conversation.(谈话)

Four Books about Curious Creatures

In these brilliant books find out about fleas, foxes and some unexpected friendships. 

Animal Sidekicks

by Macken Murphy.

Illustrated by DraganKordic

This illustrated book explores the idea of symbiosis—animals that form amazing relationships to help each other. Youˈll learn about clownfish living peacefully with poisonous sea anemone, the frog that lives with a tarantula, and lots more. 

The Secret Life of Foxes

by ChloePetrylak.

Have you ever spotted a fox on the streets of your town at night or even in your back garden? Wildlife enthusiasts will love finding out more about the mysterious lives of foxes. As well as lots of interesting information, this book includes great ideas for ways to help foxes near you. 

PleaseDonˈt Bite Me

by Nazzy Pakpour.

Illustrated by Owen Davey

Did you know that wasps can build nests as much as five metres wide? Or that fleas can jump 150 times their own height? How do mosquitoes track you down? This interesting illustrated book digs out the surprising lives of some of the buzzing, biting and stinging insects that are all around. 

Stone Age Beasts

by BenLerwill.

Illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith

Travel back in time to meet incredible creatures in this beautiful book. It features many of the prehistoric animals that our human ancestors would have met face-to-face in the Stone Age. Learn about the woolly mammoth, the sabre-toothed cat, and the six-metre snake that once slithered along the forest floor.